The Mariinsky II had been opened in May 2013 with three days of festivities to commemorate the event.

New Mariinsky theatre considered to be the best opera and ballet stage in the world.
While the auditorium is a contemporary hall, its principles are those of famous 18th and 19th century opera houses, with a horseshoe shape and three balcony levels.
This configuration has proved to be ideal for intimacy, acoustics, sightlines, audience comfort and overall cohesion of the hall.
Throught the numerous tests, location of each seat has been chosen to have the best view of the stage. Chairs are highly comfortable, so you can enjoy performance of any length.
In every section, each row of the seats is much higher and behind the previous. Thanks to it, you have a full view of the stage and a lot of leg room.
The Mariinsky II has been designed to create ideal acoustic conditions. At about 18000 m3, the hall has an ideal volume and is the best within the world’s most renowned opera houses.

Joining the historic Mariinsky Theatre, which dates from 1860, and the Mariinsky Concert Hall, which was inaugurated in 2006, the Mariinsky II will expand the Mariinsky’s cultural complex on legendary Theatre Square and enable the institution to offer the public a greatly increased schedule of presentations. Mariinsky II, funded by the Russian Government, is designed by the Toronto-based firm of Diamond Schmitt Architects in conjunction with the Russian firm KB ViPS. The 851,580-square-foot Mariinsky II will be one of the largest lyric arts facilities in the world.

Jack Diamond, Principal Architect of Diamond Schmitt Architects, stated, “When I was approached by Valery Gergiev to enter the international competition to design the new Mariinsky Theatre, he presented the opportunity to work in one of the world’s most magical architectural settings, not to mention with a Maestro who is justifiably renowned as one the world’s most respected leaders in the performing arts. I am very proud of Mariinsky II and trust it will achieve our design intent, which is to channel the immense creative spirit that is at the heart of the Mariinsky Theatre and its Maestro.”

Mariinsky II is designed to complement St. Petersburg’s beloved 19th century architecture while adding a distinctive new element to the landscape of Theatre Square. Dramatically large glass facades and bay windows set in the masonry exterior will provide panoramic views of the city and the adjacent historic Mariinsky Theatre, while fulfilling the traditional role of colonnaded porticos. A gently curved metal roof will be enlivened by a glass canopy, giving the building a contemporary identity that is nevertheless rooted in St. Petersburg’s architectural heritage.

The auditorium, designed in the tradition of 18th and 19th century opera houses, features a horseshoe configuration with three balconies, offering optimum acoustics and sightlines for approximately 2,000 opera goers. Capacious backstage facilities and advanced technological capabilities, and acoustical design by Müller-BBM, will allow for the production of the most elaborate and demanding works. An additional orchestra shell on stage and an orchestra pit with platforms that can be raised and lowered will enable Mariinsky II to function as an ideal hall for symphonic concerts as well as opera productions. Other facilities of Mariinsky II include a rooftop amphitheatre (soon to be a principal space of the ‘Stars of the White Nights’ Festival), a lobby amphitheatre, multiple rehearsal rooms and backstage space that allows multiple productions to be performed in repertoire.

In 1860 the renowned Mariinsky Theatre opened amid great pomp. Countless thousands of people visit it to this day and, I hope, enjoy what they see and hear. The theatre itself is a jewel of Russian cultural. We have dazzling foyers and glittering interiors as well as amazing rehearsal rooms. The historic Mariinsky Theatre must retain its beauty for another hundred years to come. We`ve always worked very intensively. We`v just been speaking of numbers and we are undoubted leaders in that respect and I don`t want to come across as a person obsessed with figures we planned seven hundred and sixty performances all over the world while analogous theatres performed two hundred and fifty or three hundred times and there`s something remarkable in that.

But it wouldn`t be an exaggeration to say that the historic building has for a long time exceeded its capabilities, it has reached its limits.

The new building of the Mariinsky Theatre which will be complete in 2013 will expand our capabilities significantly.

Step by step we`re getting used to this new theatre, we`re getting used to the possibility of adjusting the stage for specific orchestral and choral formats.

The scale of the narrative always depends on the size of the stage. The stage itself is a standart size, 16*16 m, then we have backstage, the rehearsal room, two side pockets. So the area covered is basically that of a football pitch. All of that is available to sound directors, lighting directors and, of course, stage directors we have everything for that, the technical posibilities are quie unique. The technical posibilities offered by the stage are unique. Basically all the latest international innovations are here, the stage machinery. I can tell you as a professional, in this theatre each seat has a full view on the stage which is not, unfortunately, the case with the historic building, and at the Bolshoi Theatre too. Not every seat allows the audience to see the entire stage. In this building that`s not the case.I think that the next acoustic test will be in the main auditorium. We`re preparing for that with all due care, we`ll have tested out the different levels of the orchestra pit. There will be several levels within the orchestra pit too. Everything will have to be very carefully adjusted so that the qualities of the auditorium and the rehearsal stage are excellent. In that sense we have only good news to tell you. We have become the custodians of this beautiful, unique theatre space. This is a great triumph for the Mariinsky Theatre. It`s a joy to direct this theatre and to have worked in it for so many years with its excellent creative resources and based on the jewel we inheritedfrom our predecessors over the past two centuries, this vast repertoire, we will be even more prepared to welcome the world at this new theatre.

The site covers 79114 m27 floors above ground

3 floors below ground

Audience capasity - 2000

Stage area – 1000 m2

4 elevating platforms

155 drive units

The opening of the new building of the Mariinsky Theatre will take place on 2 May 2013.

The new building of the Mariinsky Theatre (Mariinsky-2) has seven storeys above ground and three below. In addition to the traditional theatre entrance hall, foyers, cafes and cloakrooms, the public areas also house unique chamber venues for concert programmes, interactive projects for children and young people and exhibitions, while upstairs there is a large rehearsal space for the orchestra and individual rehearsal rooms. The areas below ground will house various departments of the theatre (including a library and the men's and women's wardrobe departments) that lack space in the old building. When fitting out the auditorium, stage and orchestra pit, great attention has been lavished on the acoustics, which have been executed in accordance with the highest international standards. The company Muller BBM, a world leader in acoustics, has acted as a consultant for all construction, installation, finishings and interior works. The auditorium of the new theatre seats two thousand people. The stage complex includes three stages, each covering around a thousand square metres: the main stage, backstage and the rehearsal stage on which sets can be installed and productions rehearsed independently of productions on the main stage. Sets can then be automatically moved to the main stage which makes it possible to take down highly complex production sets in a short space of time without closing the theatreMariinsky II Fact Sheet

The building, covering 79114 m2, will be one of the largest theatre and concert venues in the world. The auditorium will seat up to 2000 people at full capacity. There new theatre has seven storeys above ground and three below. There is the main stage, a rehearsal stage and backstage premises; rehearsal rooms for the ballet company, the opera company and the orchestra; premises for 1000 various members of staff; chamber premises in the foyer which can house educational projects for children and young people; a rooftop amphitheatre which is to be a venue for the Stars of the White Nights festival; and underground car parking for staff. Alongside the historic building of the Mariinsky Theatre, built in 1860, and the Concert Hall which opened in 2006, the Mariinsky II will form part of this theatre and concert complex, unique in its artistic and educational capabilities. This complex will reiterate the status of the Mariinsky Theatre as one of the world’s most important cultural institutions.

Exterior The exterior of the building is made of beige Jura limestone, interspersed with syncopated floor-to-ceiling windows of various sizes, and a metal roof. These windows will afford, from outside, a view of the theatre’s inner foyer and, from the inside, of the Kryukov canal. A glass and steel canopy extends over the main entrance to the theatre (the corner of Dekabristov St and the Kryukov Canal). A rooftop terrace and amphitheatre will offer breathtaking vistas of the entire city. In warmer months there will also be concerts of chamber music here.

Foyer The main foyer, with its two levels, features rear-lit onyx stone walls that surround the auditorium and Emperador marble floors. Jura beige limestone walls frame the various windows that look onto Dekabristov Street and the Kryukov canal. Thanks to the surrounding glass façade, the foyer will be illuminated during the day by an abundance of natural light. For evening performances, custom-designed Swarovski chandeliers will illuminate the space. The main foyer provides unique views of the Mariinsky Theatre across the canal. Public areas have been designed as an integral and complementary component of the building and create a sense of dramatic arrival and fluid movement. A variety of staircases thread through the foyer, including a dramatic 33-metre architectural glass staircase that traverses the north side of the foyer, connecting every above-ground level of the building. The foyer is split into several individual spaces of various sizes. The lobby amphitheatre, located on the 3rd floor, will serve as an additional space for educational projects, interactive programmes for children and young people, chamber music concerts and artistic exhibitions.

Auditorium While the auditorium is a contemporary hall, its principles are those of famous 18th and 19th century opera houses, with a horseshoe shape and three balcony levels. This configuration has proved to be ideal for intimacy, acoustics, sightlines, audience comfort and overall cohesion of the hall. The sculptured beech balcony fronts are shaped by acoustical demands. The use of three balconies instead of four allows for more height between levels and creates better sound dispersion, especially for the rows located farther back.

The production lighting meets the latest demands of artistic productions while Swarovski accent lights are studded in the balcony fronts and are designed to give sparkle to the hall, as small candelabras once did in old theatres. Carefully selected with acoustic considerations in mind, the floors of the auditorium are oak parquet on a wooden substructure with gypsum perimeter walls and ceilings. Auditorium seats are fabricated by Estel Group in Italy. The fabric was manufactured by Danish Art Weaving. The VIP box contains beech wood balcony fronts, leather walls and a Swarovski chandelier.

Stage The new hall will have a main stage and a rehearsal stage, along with ample supporting areas divided by acoustic doors and curtains. The three stage areas can merge to become a single stage or be used independently, depending on the scale and technical requirements of the performance.

Stage Equipment The stage machinery selected for the new theatre means that it will be utterly unique. The theatre can offer an essentially endless series of performances, rehearsals and installations of productions. The stage machinery has been designed and installed specifically to ensure this endless working process as well as the greatest possible functionality. When developing the concept of the stage space, the most exemplary contemporary analogies were used, as have been the best practices of recently built or recently renovated theatres throughout the world. The reconstruction practices and greatest technical solutions at London’s Royal Opera House, Copenhagen’s Royal Opera, Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet and many other theatres have been employed. The stage space has been broken down into individual zones, each of which fulfils its own strictly defined function. This includes the main stage, backstage, the side pockets, the rehearsal stage, the installation zone and the loading and unloading zone with its component assembly area. This division of space makes it possible to have the sets for at least four productions in the stage area at the same time. Moreover, at the same time, the main stage can be hosting the most technically demanding production in terms of sets, the rehearsal stage a full-scale rehearsal, the sets for the next performance can be assembled in the installation zone and other sets loaded or unloaded in the cargo dock. The stage is equipped with a system of rolling platforms and compensators, rising and falling platforms and fixed point hoists. All machinery elements are automated and are used via a control panel. This means the theatre will be able to host incredibly bold productions and the company will be able to work without any technical limitations whatsoever.

Orchestra Pit The orchestra pit is equipped with a moveable acoustic wall developed to allow for varying orchestral and acoustic needs. At full capacity, the pit is 170 m2 and holds up to 120 musicians. The pit is also equipped with three platforms: a smaller one in the rear and two larger ones in the front. These can be raised or lowered to different levels depending on the instrumentation and the desired sound.

Acoustics The Mariinsky II has been designed to create ideal acoustic conditions. At about 18000 m3, the hall has an ideal volume and is comparable to the world’s most renowned opera houses. The auditorium’s floor is separated from the concrete foundations by sound-absorbing wooden structures. Solid wood balustrades arranged in an overlapping sequence with embedded light fixtures are located throughout the auditorium to aid sound diffusion. Uniquely designed 2 to 3 metre pieces of concave plaster have also been installed throughout the auditorium to disperse sound the sound better. The modulated surfaces of these inclined wall claddings are a modern-day version of the decorative elements found in historic opera houses to improve acoustics.

Rehearsal Spaces The new theatre incorporates numerous spacious rehearsal areas, including ones for the ballet company, the orchestra and chorus as well as large multifunctional rehearsal rooms and additional individual rehearsal rooms. Rehearsal room walls and ceilings are clad in special veneered and sound-absorbing panels.

Rooftop Amphitheatre The rooftop amphitheatre provides panoramic views of St Petersburg and can accommodate up to 200 people. The amphitheatre will play an important role in the Stars of the White Nights music festival.